Friday Five: Throwback Summer Playlists

Happy Friday friends! It’s been a while since I’ve posted a Friday Five list, so today I’m giving you 5 throwback summer playlists to get your weekend started off right! I hope you’re ready to dance!

There’s something so nostalgic about summer tunes. Like boating on the lake, soaking up the sun, listening to “Good Times, Great Oldies” on Kool 108 on my dad’s retro radio (it had an antenna obviously) blasting Spiral Staircase’s “More Today than Yesterday” in between bouts of scratchy interference. Or, moving out of my quiet home setting (I was an only child!) into a dorm room full of loud party girls. The song I associate with move-in day? “Dilemma” by Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland. One of my neighbors had it on repeat all day long. Or, on one of the best days of my life, my wedding day, witnessing a sea full of sweaty, tipsy and lively friends and family get down with their bad selves while shouting at the top of their lungs all the words to “I Gotta Feeling” by The Blackeyed Peas.

I could go on forever, and I know you could too, recounting all the great songs you associate with your summer memories. I’ve picked out 5 different summers that hold special meaning in my life, and made a playlist of hits for each year. I’m a millenial so I’m obviously partial to music from the 90s and 2000s, but I threw in some oldies for good measure. I grew up listening to a LOT of Motown after all. Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

1969

Woodstock. First man on the moon. As a child of baby boomers, I’ve come to appreciate the events and adored the music of the late 60s and early 70s. My parents still remember where they were when they heard the news of Neil Armstrong’s moon landing.

1984

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of 80’s music, except for Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. But it’s the year of my birth and there were some pretty epic hits that we all know and love coming out of that summer! Worth noting: “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy” were big hits that summer, but Prince’s (RIP) music isn’t on Spotify.

1996

The year when I started to obsessively listen to the radio, waiting for any of the below hits to play, at which time I’d race over to my boom box and record the song on a blank cassette tape. Also, I thought I was the coolest middle schooler because I owned Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill on CD. whoaa.

2002

The summer after senior year of high school. If you’re a 2002 grad, this playlist will take you back!

2009

The summer I got married! I put most of these hits on the DJ’s must-play list. That night I took part in the most epic dance party of my life!

Wishing you a weekend full of delicious eats and memories with great tunes to accompany them! Tell me: What summer hits take you back?